A high-performance processor, such as one that can be implemented in a variety of computer and portable electronic devices, can receive power from a voltage regulator that generates a processor voltage. The processor can control the voltage regulator that provides its power to optimize for performance and efficiency. For example, when a heavy computational load is required, the processor can send a command to the voltage regulator to increase the processor voltage to substantially meet the needs of the processor. As another example, when the processor does not require a heavy computational load, the processor can issue a command to decrease the processor voltage and to deactivate unnecessary components to conserve power.